Gamble of Hearts
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***Synopsis***
When the Duke of Ravencroft’s nephew commits suicide he vows revenge on the Earl of Hargrove for taking advantage of the young man. After meticulously planning his downfall, it comes down to one game of cards with the duke holding all of the aces.
The Earl of
Hargrove must ante up or face financial ruin. He’s already bet the family
estates and everything of value. He scribbles something on a folded sheet of
paper and tosses it onto the pile, telling the duke the value of what’s written
is worth more than everything he’s gambled to date.
Intent on his
revenge, the duke allows the ante.
The earl loses
everything. In desperation he returns to his London Townhouse and plans to
take everything of value he can get his hands on and skip the country.
The duke is
suspicious, and my story begins with the earl’s sister, Amora answering a knock
on the door at three in the morning.
The duke arrives
with constables and the earl is arrested for attempted robbery. Only as the
lawman are taking him to prison does the duke withdraw the folded note from his
pocket to discover the earl used his own sister to ante up.
With no other
relatives, the local magistrate names the duke as legal guardian pending her brother’s trial.
The duke makes no
secret of his dislike for gambling, cards, racing and other games of chance.
And Amora has a
secret. She learned to play cards as a child and has a natural talent for the
game. Something her abusive brother exploits to her dismay.
Now, relieved of
the hardships forced upon her by her sibling, she faces a new future.
But her past comes back
to haunt her.
As the story
progresses, the Duke and Amora fall in love and are married.
They have a son,
who an old memory from her past kidnaps to force her to play before the King
and reveal to all her talent.
Such a moment will
bring ruin to her, and her husband and under threat of her baby’s life agrees
to the match.
Then she discovers
her brother and her captor conspire together.
She fears what her
husband’s reaction will be when he discovers her talent.
But he steps
forward at the last minute to rescue her and their son.
Her brother pulls a
gun to shoot the duke and is shot by the King’s guards for drawing a weapon in
the King’s presence. Her captor is sentenced to prison and the King requests an
audience hoping to use her particular talents.
Amora and the Duke
find their happy ever after.
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
Sub-genre- gambling, guardian love interest. The sub-genre and trope were decided before the story began. I added an arranged marriage trope and a love tringle trope as the story progressed.
Are you more character or plot driven?
I would say I am more plot driven.
With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind? Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?
A movie with all the characters plays out in my mind as I write. Sometimes, I have to stop and take a different look at the scene from one of my character’s point of view.
I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own. Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?
Yes, Lady Amora kept doing things I had to stop and think about.
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
No. For the most part, I have a particular character in mind and go back to check each action and comment.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
No. Lady Amora is her own person.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
The ending scene with the last card game in front of the King was hard to write. There was too much emotion and I struggled to get the words out.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
Lady Amora is my favorite character because she is a survivor. No matter what hand she is dealt, she deals with.
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
I play the whole movie in my head. Sometimes the perfect ending comes to me after I stop writing and do something else.
What scene in this book sticks out the most for you? Why?
I like the end of the first chapter when Amora and the Duke discover her brother used her to ante up.
This question is if you write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs in a book. It’s not just the hero and heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this series. I feel that it gives the story further depth. Do you think you will write another book or series following this multiple POV outline?
If the right storyline comes to mind, I will. It takes a few days to plot everything out.
How long did it take you to write this book?
Six weeks.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I think about the main topic and come up with a title. In this one, it’s heart stakes gambling.
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
I think so.
If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?
Lady Amora would be played by Emily Watson, and the Duke of Ravencroft would played by Christian Bale
Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect next? Whether a new book and series or a sequel to an existing series? Can you share a small tease?
This holiday season I will release my new dukes and castles novel Once Upon a Christmas Castle.
The story is about a young woman who is affianced to an older man and journeys to Weston Castle for her Christmas wedding. With her precocious five-year-old-half-brother to keep an eye on, she wins the heart of a duke through a series of unfortunate events and finds her happy ever after.
Check out all my interviews/reviews for Virginia Barlow!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2023/05/author-at-glance-virginia-barlow.html
I considered becoming an author in my late twenties but as a busy mother with toddlers, I didn’t have the time. Later, in my fifties, I decided to give it a try and have enjoyed every word of it since. I recently signed my thirteenth contract and am doing my happy dance as I type this.
My husband of forty-one years is my greatest support as are all my kids. Most of them are grown and carving out lives for themselves. They are the beat of my heart and with every grandchild, the rhythm gets stronger. I enjoy every moment of my life.
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The Duke of Ravencroft exacts revenge for his nephew's death and gains a ward. Irresistibly drawn to the villain's sister, he must play and gamble with their hearts or lose everything.
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